Surgical glove

ABSTRACT

A rubber surgical glove formed of relatively thin material to provide maximum tactility and ease of manipulation having at least one entire finger portion made with a double thickness to prevent puncture and the passage therethrough of contamination.

United States Patent 732,360 6/1903 Lindsay Inventor George J. Schonholtz l 1310 Old Club Road, Rockville, Md.

20852 97,539 Dec. 11, 1970 Jan. 11, 1972 Appl. No. Filed Patented SURGICAL GLOVE 7 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

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References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS A4ld 19/00 2,324,735 7/1943 Spanel 2/168 X 3,110,035 Ill-1963 La Hue... 2/168 2,683,263 7/1954 Lenhart.. 2/168 2,173,734 9/1939 Sidnell 2/168 X 2,989,755 6/1961 OBrien et a1 2/168 Primary ExaminerPatrick D. Lawson Assistant Examiner-Geo. V. Larkin Attorney-Dennison, Dennison, Townshend & Meserole ABSTRACT: A rubber surgical glove formed of relatively thin material to provide maximum tactility and ease of manipulation having at least one entire finger portion made with a double thickness to prevent puncture and the passage therethrough of contamination.

SURGICAL GLOVE This invention relates generally to gloves, and more specifically to an improved surgical glove.

The gloves presently used by surgeons, nurses and paramedical personnel are manufactured of extremely thin rubber and are adapted to fit very closely and tightly over the users hands in the manner of a sheath in order to permit a maximum of tactile sensitivity and manipulation of the fingers while simultaneously prohibiting passage of contamination or infection from the bare skin of the user to the patient and vice versa.

A principal defect in prior art gloves has been a weakness to puncture or rupture under use. Such defects have long been recognized and documented by the medical profession, but there has been no effective solution to the problem. Russell, Roque, and Miller have compiled statistics disclosing an alarming incidence of surgical glove failure. Archives of Surgery, Aug. 1966, Vol. 93, pp. 245-249.

Even the presence of a small pinhole, not evident to the naked eye, can result in contamination and infection. In order to minimize such chances, it is common practice to scrub the hands vigorously with various antibacterial skin cleansers, especially those containing hexachlorophene or iodophors. Various germicidal powders are also used in a like manner. Such scrubs are, however, short-lived in efficacy since bacteria will regrow under the gloves due to perspiration of the hands and other factors during prolonged operations. In such cases where the glove is punctured, it is necessary to remove the gloves during an operation with or without a rescrub with an antibacterial detergent and apply a new pair of gloves. The inherent danger of time delay and further bacterial contamination in such a procedure is obvious.

In order to obviate the problems of glove rupture, many surgeons today customarily wear two or more pairs of gloves which of course provides a double thickness of material but also greatly constricts the hands and causes excessive sweating and tiring of the hand muscles. Still, many surgeons endure such discomfort in order to prevent infection from glove rupture.

The statistical studies indicate that a majority of the ruptures of gloves occur at the index finger of the left hand with the second highest incidence involving the thumb of the left hand. The glove of the present invention has been designed specifically to provide additional thickness and strength in this area while still providing a generally light and comfortable glove.

It is an object of this invention to provide a surgical glove having reinforcement at selected areas which is otherwise thin to provide tactile sensitivity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a surgical glove that is light and comfortable and will resist tearing and puncturing in the areas of maximum stress.

Yet another object of this invention is to manufacture reinforced surgical gloves utilizing techniques well known in the arts of rubber manufacture.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a reinforced surgical glove which is cheap to manufacture and is safe and reliable in use.

For yet other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate the best mode now contemplated of carrying out the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a surgical glove embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a slightly enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the index finger portion of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a slightly enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the index finger and its adjacent finger of an altemative embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the index finger of another alternative embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The glove of the present invention is a conventional thinwall rubber surgical glove body 10, which may be formed by dipping either of latex rubber or of rubber cement. The method and compositions are shown in US. Pat. No. 2,989,755 of June 27, 1961. I have added an exterior face cover 11 on at least one of the digit members comprising the thumb 12 and finger l3 portions of the body in order to increase the wall thickness of the member over which the cover is applied. The cover ll is, in all embodiments of the invention, made of the same material from which the glove body is formed, and is complemental to the surface of the digit member it covers. If desired, the cover 11 may be provided in a color contrasting to that of the glove body 10.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG. 2, the thin rubber cover 11 is in the form of a finger stall completely enclosing the index finger portion of the glove body in tight fitted engagement thereover and is vulcanized thereto, so that it is permanently attached to the underlying finger portion and cannot slip thereon nor be removed therefrom. The step of vulcanization makes it integral with the finger portion of the glove body.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the cover 111 is formed in situ on the exterior of a digit member portion of the glove body 10 (here shown as the index finger) by dipping the member in fluid latex to form a coating of desired thickness over the entire exterior of the digit member, after which it is cured and vulcanized, becoming, in effect, an integral part of he underlying digit member so that it cannot slip or be detached. Additional dipping or time of dip will control the additional thickness of the finger.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4, the cover 211 is in the form of a finger stall similar to the stall illustrated in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, however, the cover is slightly larger than the underlying digit member, thus providing a clearance space therebetween which is filled with any conventional indicator substance 14 such as colored saline solution. If the cover is ruptured or pierced, the indicator will leak through the resultant opening and contrastingly color the exterior of the cover so that a surgeon will immediately be made aware that the glove must be discarded and replaced. Substance 14 may also be a conventional antibacterial substance such as hexachlorophene or an iodopher or may be an indicator combined with such a substance if desired. It will be understood that emission of the powder will occur before puncture of the inner glove portion 10, hence there will be adequate warning to change gloves.

The open end edge of the cover is vulcanized to the body 10 of the glove as indicated by the bead 15 in FIG. 4, thus fixedly attaching the cover to the glove body so that it cannot become detached therefrom when in use.

Although in the foregoing specific embodiments of the invention, the digit member portion of the glove body is indicated as being that of the index finger, the present invention comprehends within its scope the use of any of the various covers 11 on the digit member constituting the thumb portion of the glove, as shown in FIG. I, either with or without a cover on the index or any other finger portion of the glove.

I Claim:

1. A surgical glove comprising, in combination; a one-piece rubber glove body including a lower hand-covering portion and five finger stalls, at least one of said stalls being of greater wall thickness than the remaining stalls and said lower handcovering portion having the same wall thickness as said remaining stalls.

2. In the glove of claim 1, wherein at least the index finger stall is of greater wall thickness than said remaining stalls.

3. In the glove of claim 1, wherein at least the thumb stall is of greater wall thickness than said remaining stalls.

major portion of the digit member to provide a clearance space therebetween, and a contrast color indicator substance filling said clearance space and capable of escaping therefrom to the external face of the cover through any fortuitous piercing or rupture thereof.

7. A surgical glove as in claim 6 and further including an antibacterial substance mixed with said color indicator substance. 

1. A surgical glove comprising, in combination; a one-piece rubber glove body including a lower hand-covering portion and five finger stalls, at least one of said stalls being of greater wall thickness than the remaining stalls and said lower handcovering portion having the same wall thickness as said remaining stalls.
 2. In the glove of claim 1, wherein at least the index finger stall is of greater wall thickness than said remaining stalls.
 3. In the glove of claim 1, wherein at least the thumb stall is of greater wall thickness than said remaining stalls.
 4. In the glove of claim 1, wherein the greater wall thickness is provided by means of a separate digit cover vulcanized to said finger stall.
 5. In the glove of claim 4, said cover being a coating of latex cured and vulcanized to the outer face of its associated finger stall.
 6. A surgical glove comprising a rubber glove body, a cover of the same material over at least one digit member of the glove body complemental to and spaced slightly from the major portion of the digit member to provide a clearance space therebetween, and a contrast color indicator substance filling said clearance space and capable of escaping therefrom to the external face of the cover through any fortuitous piercing or rupture thereof.
 7. A surgical glove as in claim 6 and further including an antibacterial substance mixed with said color indicator substance. 